Chris Brown's Homie'F**k You, We're Gonna Kill You N**ga'

6/15/2012 8:27 AM PDT

Chris Brown's Homie -- 'F**k You, We're Gonna Kill You N**ga'

EXCLUSIVE

One of Chris Brown's homies was throwing gang signs and making death threats at Drake's entourage in the moments before the NYC nightclub brawl ... this according to several witnesses.

Eyewitnesses say ... Chris had been hanging out at his own VIP table with a posse of 16 other guys ... one of whom was a man with dreadlocks who was throwing gang signs and screaming at Drake's table. Witnesses say this man was the primary instigator in the brawl that would follow.

Here's the rub -- Brown's friend was acting as if he was associated with a gang .... which is significant because Chris is not allowed to associate with gang members as part of his probation in the Rihanna beating case.